"I don't believe in any VIP treatment."

Politicians usually like to travel in style -- in plush vehicles and, with a sizable entourage of people and security personnel.

So, when photos of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy sleeping in a sleeper-class berth surfaced on the Internet, social media went gaga over the Congress leader's simple lifestyle.

According to the Times of India, a fellow passenger clicked and shared photos of Chandy sleeping, relaxing and reading magazines in a sleeper-class train coach, travelling from Kottayam to Thiruvananthapuram.

The 72-year-old seemed perfectly at ease, dressed in a white panche and a matching short-sleeved shirt.

Chandy however is at a loss as to why social media is hailing his style of travel as something extraordinary.

"I prefer travelling in sleeper class on trains which don't have a heavy rush, especially the long-distance ones," he told NDTV. "I get to mingle with people, otherwise it can get very lonely. I don't believe in any VIP treatment."

This is not the first time that Chandy has travelled without his security detail.